Safety device for flying-machines.



C. H. BURPORD.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FLYING MACHINEb APPLICATION FILED JULY'25. 1911.

1,024,676. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

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Q & E W 1 5 a? @MW C. H. BURFORD.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1911.

1,024,676. I Patented Apr. 30, 1 912.

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- T all whoin conccrmjcrraimns nriiviw 3 mm Be it known that I, CHARLES Hnivar Bun- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing: at Meade, in the county of'MeadeQ and State of Kansas, have invented certain new'andusefulImprovements in Safety Devices for Flying-ltlachines, of when the following isa specification, reference'being 'had to. accompanying drawings- This invention relates: to new improvements in safety devices jj'and useful for flying T lnacliinesand more particularly; to a device .w of this character which can be fitted to a.

" flying-machine of'any make and. has for itsobject tocheck the fall of the machinewhen the'operator has lost control: .of the same so shoulddsire. 20

that he can gain control of his machine'a'ndbe able to alight 'at"most any position he 1 Another-objectof the invention is to pro-- duce a device of this character which will: possess advantages in points of efliciency,'- durability, is inexpensive? of manufacture; and at the same time is simple in construction and operation.

. With the above and other objects in view the'invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a flying machine showing my safety device applied thereto; Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the device showing the same unfolded and having the form of a parachute; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 indicates the frame of the flying machine, which is mounted on the traction wheels 2, said traction wheels being mounted one in front and two at the sides of the frame. Mounted on the frame is a tubular base portion 3 adapted to receive the lower end of a tubular receptacle 4 which is secured to the base by means of the rivets 4 and extends. up through the frame work of the machine and projects above the top of the machine, said tube being disposed at an angle of any desired degree, but preferably at that shown in the drawings. Normally disposed in this tubular receptacle 4 is a parachute 5.having a reinforced piece of canvas or other suitable material secured in the top as shown at 6 and all the cords 7 are .SAFETYY PEV mam-.mwa

I p specificatioii of Iletter's Patent, Ap p'lication filed July 25, 1911.

a gage the ratchet Serial No. 540,494.;

' secured thereto. A

-8 is attached to thetop' of the parachute and passed "down throughfthe 'same "and connected' -to t-lIG- bOttOm platen, saidplate having the" cords' 1'0 secure'th'i f-the'outer edgtb'ereofa I vertically. disposed rod A ringyllis secured t-o the plate- 95mm it frope or cable-'12 is-secIIred'injJ-Said ring and passed down into the Illbll'litl receptacle 1 =Wl1BI8 itis" wound on a 'rotatably' mounted drum 1 3 dis'posed jinthe lower end of the receptacle 4, 'said'dru'mbeing mounted on a transversely-disposed shaft ll l jhaving" a rectangular endflfi adapted to receive a crank handle to wind up the'drum antlja ratchet shaft; dog 17 is 'p ivo tally-mounted adj a: 'cent; the ratchet wheel and adapted to en'- against' backward movemen't;

then-tubular receptacle 4f and just above the dru-m'isa circular plate 18 on which is mounted a suitable coil spring 19, which,

is compressed by having the plate 9 pressing down on the same. The tube 4 is provided on its upper end with an outwardly turned flange 20 to prevent the cable from being cut when it is being played out.

As shown in Fig. 1 the device is inclosed in the tube ready for flight, the-spring being compressed and will force the parachute out desired to release the parachute the. operator will grasp the ring 11 which is connect ed to the dog 17 by means of the cord 21 and allow the coil spring to force the parachute clear out of the tube, there being just enough cable to allow the clear of the tube and ,when the parachute reaches the end of the cable it will give somewhat of a jerk which will assist in starting the parachute to spread and the machine will'be eased down to the ground and will alight without injury to the machine or operator.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawings it will be seen that I have provided a simple and practical device which will check or stop the fall of any flying machine enough to allow the operator to regain control of the machine and alight as he should desire.

While I have shown and described the wheel to holddrum .Horizontally disposed int-he We alder when the parachute is folded into the tube 4.

when the ratchet 18 is released. When it is by a slight pull will release the drum and.

=wheel*16iis-mounted' 'ofrtheoth'erjend of the parachute to pass preferred form of my invention it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying myinvention into practice without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope thereof. I

Hav ng thus described my invent-ion I claini:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame mounted on traction wheels, a tubular base mounted on said frame, a' tubular receptacle having its lower end disposed in said base, a parachute disposed in said, tubular receptacle, a cable secured to the lower end of said parachute, a drum rotatably mounted in the lower end of said receptacle on which said cable is wound, means for holding said drum against backward movement, and means for forcing said parachute out of the tubular receptacle when said drum is released.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a' frame mounted on traction wheels, a tubular base mounted on said frame, a tubular receptacle having its lower end disposed in said base, a horizontal shaft disposed in the lower end of said receptacle, a drum mounted on said shaft, a

ratchet wheel mounted on one end of said shaft, a *dog pivotally mounted adjacent drum,

said wheel and adapted to engage the same to hold said drum against backward movement, a parachute disposed within said tu bular receptacle, a cable secured to said parachute and adapted to be wound on the drum, and means for forcing said parachute out of the receptacle when said dog is released from the ratchet.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a tubular base mounted on said frame, a tubular receptacle having its lower end disposed in and secured in said base, a drum rotatably mounted in the lowerend of said receptacle, means for preventing backward movement of said a horizontally disposed circular plate mounted in said receptacle just above said drum,'a coil spring-mounted on said plate, a parachute normally disposed in said receptacle and bearing on said spring, a cable secured to said parachute and adapted tobc wound on the drum to hold said spring compressed, means for releasing said drum to allow the coil spring to force the parachute out of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in'the resence of two witnesses.-

CHARLE HENRY BURFORD. Witnesses:

O. R. Sruvnns,

Wu. P. ELLIOTT. 

